


Secret Santa

by Nazezdha321



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Philinda ending, SO MUCH FLUFF, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, happy holidays!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-24 15:34:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21620269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nazezdha321/pseuds/Nazezdha321
Summary: Daisy decides the celebrate the holidays by forcing everyone to participate in a secret santa gift exchange.
Relationships: Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie/Yo Yo Rodriguez, Lance Hunter/Bobbi Morse, Phil Coulson/Melinda May
Comments: 53
Kudos: 93





	1. Daisy’s Idea

**Author's Note:**

> Dedicated to my beta, Here_For_Huntingbird. I love you so much and thank you for always supporting me and telling me when I’m a genius, and for telling me when my works absolutely suck and should really not post them. Happy Holidays everyone!
> 
> This is set before things got complicated and Daisy has powers during this but it’s not really addressed except for a few minor references.

**Daisy’s POV**

Daisy Johnson loved Christmas. Not because she was a devoted Christian, though there was nothing wrong with that. Daisy loved Christmas because of the giant trees with lights, the cookies, and the assurance that even the worst kids got _something_. Well, unless you were seven-year-old Skye, but that had been a particularly rough foster family and Daisy didn’t think that counted. 

“Hey, Coulson,” Daisy said, running up the hallway of the ancient SSR base (which, according to Simmons, had an absolutely fascinating history involving _the_ Peggy Carter, but Daisy hadn’t been listening during that lecture). “Is there a SHIELD holiday party or a SHIELD secret santa or something?” 

“Well,” Coulson replied, “there _used_ to be an annual Christmas party that got changed to a holiday party once SHIELD got more inclusive, but I don’t think we’ve had it since, oh, 2013. Why?” 

“Why since 2013?” Bobbi wondered. 

“2014 is when SHIELD fell. I doubt HYDRA is all that pleased with the giving spirit, love,” Hunter answered. 

“OK, can I plan a party?” Daisy asked. 

“No parties,” Coulson declared. At everyone’s look of surprise and utter devastation, he added, “because you always spike the drinks, which causes numerous problems, and because they cost money, which we have limits on.” 

“And because you hang mistletoe _everywhere_ ,” May cut in. 

“That too,” Coulson amended, though he didn’t look mortified by the prospect. 

“What about a secret santa? Please?” Daisy made sad puppy-dog eyes. 

“Whatever Tremors wants to do, you better let her before the single tear,” Mack advised. 

“Fine,” Coulson caved. Daisy, Bobbi, Hunter, Yo-Yo and FitzSimmons cheered. “Do you want to mention something at the briefing?” Daisy ran toward her bunk. 

“How disastrous can it be?” She heard Fitz wonder. “She’s only got half an hour to prepare.” 

“Knowing Daisy,” May muttered, “world-ending.” 

**\- - -**

”And finally,” Coulson announced to the assembled agents, “Agent Johnson has a few things to say about a secret santa program she volunteered to plan this year.” Daisy stepped forward beaming, armed with a bucket full of paper slips. 

“Since we aren’t allowed to have a party,” Daisy began, with a May-worthy glare at Coulson, echoed by several other agents, “we’re doing a secret santa. The rules are that you take a slip out of this bucket, which has the name of every agent in it, and you buy this person a gift. There is no spending limit because whatever you buy come see out of your already-meager salary. On Christmas Day, which is in two weeks, your gifts will be delivered by myself.” 

Several agents started to murmur amongst themselves until the room was louder than the engines on the plane. 

“So line up and grab a slip of paper. If you don’t know what to give the agent, ask their partner or me and I’ll hack their computer,” Daisy offered. A few agents grinned at this while others looked mildly alarmed. She grabbed a slip out of the bucket before passing it down the line. Daisy almost started laughing when she saw the name on her paper. 

**AGENT MELINDA MAY  
**

**\- - -**

For the next few days, Daisy spent a total of six hours trying to find the perfect present for May. She wasn’t allowed to ship anything to a nonexistent location, and besides, there _wasn’t_ anything online. Daisy went to the local stores, one of which had a nice leather jacket, which she considered Plan B. 

She wanted to get something for May that was out-of-the-box and leather jackets were in, like, the center of the box. 

On the ninth day of trying (and failing) to find a gift, Daisy caved in and decidedly to ask for help. Not because she couldn’t hack May’s computer, but because she was terrified of May kicking her ass because Daisy hacked her computer. 

“Hey Coulson?” Daisy asked at the end of the briefing that morning. “Can I talk to you for a sec?” 

“By all means,” Coulson replied, beckoning her to his office. He shut the door. “You got May, didn’t you?” 

“How did you -” Daisy began. He cut her off with a wave of his hand.

“Daisy, Melinda May is the hardest person to shop for on the planet. Especially as someone who’s been getting her birthday presents for thirty years,” Coulson added. Interesting, Daisy thought. He gets her birthday presents? 

“OK, well, I want to get her something more than say, a jacket,” Daisy said, frustrated. 

“I think you might be over-stressing slightly,” Coulson informed her. “But I probably do that every time November rolls around.” 

“What did you get her this year?” Daisy asked miserably. 

“Tea from this little shop in China that doesn’t sell outside of their place. I had to take the day off to fly out there,” Coulson answered. 

“Well, what should _I_ get her?” 

“Notice something she’s missing,” Coulson advised. Daisy sighed and walked out. 

At least now Daisy knew Coulson and May got birthday presents for one another, which was absolutely _adorable_. 

**\- - -**

”This is impossible,” Bobbi declared one morning while she, Simmons, and Daisy were sharing coffee. “I have stalked Davis, asked Piper, and gone shopping for two hours. Nothing!” 

“Oh, Davis is easy,” Daisy muttered. 

“Not as easy as Fitz!” Simmons crowed. 

“Damn it, I bet he got you too. You guys always manage to pair up,” said Bobbi, “though I wonder who got Hunter? No one’s asked me yet, though all they’d have to get him is alcohol...” 

“Who did you get, Daisy?” Simmons asked. 

“May,” Daisy whispered. She knew May was up at weird hours and didn’t want to spoil the surprise. Bobbi and Simmons winced in sympathy. 

“And you don’t want to get her something basic, like clothing,” Bobbi guessed. Daisy nodded. “Did you ask Coulson? I bet he would know.” 

“He just said to find something she’s missing,” Daisy replied. 

“Positivity?” Bobbi suggested and the three girls laughed. But that got Daisy thinking. 

“Hang on,” She told them. “You might be on to something...” 

**\- - -**

As soon as Daisy got back to her bunk she grabbed her laptop. May was missing... well, not positivity, more like she had PTSD. And Daisy had seen the news enough times to know what veterans did about PTSD - because May _was_ a veteran, she had been in active war zones, and Bahrain left her scarred. 

Daisy found the website in three seconds, and it took her another five to dial the listed number. 

“Hi, my name is Daisy. Do you service outside of” - she checked the website - “Oregon?” 


	2. Out Shopping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope y’all like this chapter!

**Daisy’s POV**

”Hey Coulson, can I take a Quinjet and the day off?” Daisy asked. Coulson raised an eyebrow. 

“Depends,” He said. Daisy told him her idea. “That’s... wow, Daisy. Sure, and take Bobbi as your pilot.” Daisy beamed and ran to Bobbi’s bunk. She knocked quickly on the door and a few seconds later it opened. 

“We have a mission?” Bobbi asked. 

“Sorta. It’s my secret santa present for May,” Daisy replied. “You’re piloting. I’ll tell you everything when we’re in the Quinjet.” Together they walked to the hangar, which was empty except for Davis and May. 

“Uh oh,” Bobbi muttered under her breath. 

“I’ll handle it. You get the Quinjet in the air,” Daisy hissed. Bobbi ran off. 

“What’re you here for?” Davis asked. 

“Coulson gave me a solo op and Bobbi’s piloting because you’re apparently waiting for a team and he needs May here,” Daisy informed them. May glared at Davis. He raised his hands in an innocent gesture. 

“I can’t imagine what for,” He mumbled, but he quickly sped off once May turned the glare up a few notches. 

“Daisy, let’s go!” Bobbi yelled. Daisy waved at May and stepped in the Quinjet. She strapped in and Bobbi said some stuff to control (Daisy wasn’t listening). “Off to?”

“Oregon,” Daisy said, snapping back to attention. 

“What’s this plan of yours?” Bobbi asked. Daisy grinned. 

“I’m getting May a dog. Like the ones on TV that can nudge their owner or something whenever they freak out, but it’s going to be ex-military because the base is attacked every five seconds so I want it to be comfortable with combat,” Daisy explained. “So I found a place in Oregon that takes retired military dogs and trains them and gives them to veterans... so we’ll have to pretend May’s an Air Force Officer because otherwise they won’t give one to us.” 

“That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard, and I’ve talked to Hunter when he’s sober,” Bobbi exclaimed. Daisy laughed. “So did they recommend any dogs or something?” 

“Nope. It’s going to be a surprise.” 

**\- - -**

Bobbi ended up finding an inconspicuous landing spot in the middle of nowhere, so they had to drive a few hours to get to the place - which also happened to be in the middle of nowhere. 

“Come on!” Daisy cried, bounding up the steps. There was a farmhouse-style piece of land, with a pretty white house and a red front door. There were a lot of dogs, but to Daisy’s surprise, none of them started barking, they sat quietly. Though some were leaning forward and a few looked them up and down. Bobbi knocked twice. The effect was instantaneous. The dogs that had been waiting patiently behind the door and the fence could no longer resist. There was an outcry of barks, some high-pitched and some rough and more like growls. 

“Poor things,” Bobbi said sympathetically as the barks died down and an old gray dog with one leg dragged itself over to the fence. A woman opened the red door. 

“Hi, I’m Lea,” She said. She was very tall, black-skinned, and she was wearing a blue plaid flannel over a white tank top with jeans. 

“I’m Daisy, and this is Bobbi,” Daisy introduced them. Bobbi smiled in what Daisy hoped appeared friendly. 

Lea turned around and called, “Tavia! Patrick! Cass!” Then she turned back to them. “Come on in! The dogs aren’t vicious... well, most of them.” Daisy glanced at Bobbi. 

Bobbi shrugged. “We’ve faced worse.” She walked inside and Daisy followed. 

**\- - -**

**Bobbi’s POV**

The House was Boston-style, Bobbi noticed. She and Hunter had been there once on a mission. She liked the furniture, but there were a lot of dogs, most of them German Shepards. No puppies - Bobbi remembered that these were all veterans in their own right, so of course there weren’t any puppies. She had always been a dog person. Most dogs would run and play with you, but most cats wouldn’t. Hunter always said that the reason Bobbi was a dog person was that dogs were ‘all over the bloody place’ and the reason he was a cat person was that cats were ‘sensible, preferring to go solo, and appreciative of a nap now and then.’ 

Bobbi understood the napping part, but the ‘sensible’ and ‘go solo’ part weren’t exactly the words she would use to describe Hunter. For one thing, he always worked with friends - her, Idaho, Izzy - and for another, _he_ was the one who usually made up the insane suicide plans. She just participated. 

“My husband and daughters will be down in just a minute,” Lea promised. “Who are you looking for a dog for today?” 

“Our... mom,” Daisy answered with a side glance and Bobbi, who winced. It wasn’t exactly a lie, per se, as May was pretty much the maternal figure for a lot of their team, but something about called her ‘mom’ made Bobbi cringe. “She’s a specialist in the Air Force. A mission went bad a few years back and she acts mostly like a robot now. If you can imagine.” 

They were interupted by the entrance of a teenage girl with slightly lighter skin than Lea and Asian eyes like May’s. She had ripped black jeans and a camouflage tank top on. 

“Daisy thinks a dog for her is the perfect Christmas present. I’m here for moral support,” Bobbi continued. Another girl who looked younger than the first with pale skin but extremely dark hair and eyes reminiscent of Lea sat down next to them, and a short balding Asian man followed. 

“These are my daughters, Octavia” - Lea gestured to the girl with the camouflage tank top - “and Cassidy, and my husband, Patrick. Daisy and Bobbi are looking for a dog for their mother.” The man nodded. Both girls smiled. 

“So she has PTSD, then?” Octavia asked. 

“Well, it’s obvious to everyone who knew her before, like our... dad,” Bobbi chimed in. “She is still in combat regularly and flies a lot.” 

“Do you have a picture?” Cassidy wondered softly. Daisy flipped through pictures on her phone before passing it around. When Lea handed Bobbi the phone, she recognized it immediately. It was an old picture of the team, before Bobbi has been there. FitzSimmons were smiling next to Ward and Daisy, and Coulson had his arm around May’s shoulder, who still looked as badass as ever. 

“She’s the woman in black?” Patrick asked. Bobbi nodded. 

“Yeah,” Daisy confirmed. 

“What we typically try to do is have dogs meet with their potential partners. As this is a gift, I know that’s not possible. Is there anything else you can tell us about her?” Lea asked. 

“Hobbies?” Octavia suggested. 

“Um... well the Air Force is her whole life. She does martial arts too. And she’s an awful cook,” Daisy replied. 

“I’ll bring out Mad Max, Bianca, and Charlie?” Cassidy asked. Lea nodded. 

“Octavia, help her, will you?” Patrick asked and Octavia went after her sister. 

“Why are most of the dogs German Shepards?” Bobbi asked nonchalantly. 

“Oh, we’ve got a few Jack Russel terriers and some Labrador Retrievers, but shepards are typically the dogs that most units use,” Patrick replied.

“Mom, we’re ready!” came a shout. Lea and Patrick stood and lead Daisy and Bobbi out the back door through a kitchen.

If Bobbi thought it was chaotic with the amount of dogs inside the house, it was an absolute disaster out back. Dogs were _everywhere_ and there was no shortage of energy as they raced around the porch. On the porch, however, stood Octavia and Cassidy, as well as three German Shepards, one with a white collar and one eye, one with a red collar, and a very short one with a black collar. 

“This is Charlie” - Cassidy indicated the one-eyed dog - “and Bianca” - she patted the red-collared dog on her head - “and this is Max, whom we affectionately nicknamed Mad Max. Charlie is very loyal, Bianca’s a cuddler and a total sweetheart, and Max is a fighter, through and through.” 

“How did Charlie lose his eye?” Bobbi asked, stroking him. 

“We aren’t sure, but the vet guessed shrapnel and debris,” Octavia explained. “Charlie is four years old and he’s been in Afghanistan for two tours, though his tours were cut short when he lost his eye. Bianca’s two and she’s been to Iran, and she helped catch some terrorists for interrogation, and Mad Max is eight years old, and she’s been to Afghanistan twice, Iran, Syria, _and_ she was in New York, helping the NYPD evacuate New York City and defend the public.” 

“We’ll leave you with the dogs for a few minutes,” Patrick said, and the family walked back inside the house. 

Bobbi already knew who Daisy would pick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gonna be honest... this chapter was really hard to write and I still think it’s my least favorite of the six. But I’d love to hear what you think, so please leave comments!


	3. MADMAX (stranger things references but also fury road i’m that brilliant)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually hate myself for this being so late. Please feel free to yell at me in the comments.

**Daisy’s POV**

They left the farmhouse with Mad Max, who Daisy knew was the perfect fit. As they drove back to the Quinjet, Max showed no sign of anxiety or fear - just a determined sort of curiosity. 

“How are you going to smuggle Max into the base and make sure May doesn’t notice her till Christmas?” Bobbi wondered. 

“I don’t know,” Daisy admittedly, “but there’s only five days till Christmas. How hard can it be?” 

**\- - -**

The answer was: very. 

Bobbi landed the Quinjet in the hangar and hung out with the dog while Daisy had to find an excuse to bring a giant box and rolling cart to the Quinjet without informing May or looking suspicious. 

“Hazardous materials,” She explained to the new recruit in FitzSimmons’ lab, who was apparently in charge of handing out hazard-proof large boxes. 

“Agent May said to tell her whenever there was a hazardous materials call. Or a call of any kind,” said the recruit. 

“Yeah, but May’s busy being briefed and we shouldn’t interrupt. Besides I’ve done this a billion times. I can handle it,” Daisy said. The only ‘hazardous material’ she’d ever handled was terrigen and that went super well. The recruit warily agreed, but not without saying that if _he_ got in trouble he was blaming it on _her_ because Agent May was _terrifying._

Daisy agreed on both counts, so she got the giant hazard-proof box. 

“Well,” Bobbi stated as they faced their next dilemma: getting Max into the box and rolling it to a secure, not-crowded area without the dog making a sound. 

“Max has probably done undercover work, right?” Daisy shrugged. 

“Daisy, Mad Max is an eight-year-old veteran german shepard dog. Do we really know what she can do?” Bobbi asked. But in the end, there was no other option, and besides, May was most likely on her way to the hangar anyway as it was next to the gym, and so they had to go. 

“Ok then. Max, will you get silently get into this box so I can roll you to a quiet place to get you into yet another box so I can sneak you to my bunk to hide you from your future owner?” Daisy asked. The dog glanced up like, _whatever_ , and hopped off a ledge into the box. 

“Great! Now just, uh, be quiet,” Bobbi ordered. Mad Max yawned. “Great.” Bobbi and Daisy pushed the cart down the Quinjet ramp. 

Max stayed silent. 

“You have a plan, right?” Bobbi asked. 

“Um... yeah. We push Max to that creepy storage unit ‘cuz nobody goes back there and then I’ll call Yo-Yo and tell her to bring a present box down, which I can then push to my bunk,” Daisy offered. Bobbi sighed. Daisy felt slightly insulted. It was a good a plan as any and they couldn’t push a box marked ‘hazardous’ and ‘warning’ in a really aggressive yellow to the bunks. Daisy called Yo-Yo while Bobbi pushed the box into the elevator. 

“I’m assuming you need my help,” Yo-Yo said. 

“No, ‘hi, Daisy’?” 

“Hi, Daisy.” 

“Hi, Yo-Yo. I need you to bring that super ginormous gift box down to the storage place discreetly.” 

“¿ _Por qué_?” Yo-Yo asked. 

“I don’t know Spanish so I’ll, uh, assume that’s a yes. Thanks! Bye,” Daisy said, and hung up. The elevator doors opened, startling Daisy, and she and Bobbi pushed the box down the deserted hallway to the unit. 

Seven minutes later, Yo-Yo and Mack arrived with a massive box. 

Daisy glared. “I thought you were going to keep it quiet!” 

“Mack was with me when you called,” Yo-Yo protested. “What’s in your box?” 

“May’s secret santa present - oh yeah, I forgot to mention I got May for secret santa,” Daisy added. Bobbi helped her heave the lid off and Max leaped out. “This is Max aka Mad Max, an eight-year-old army veteran who doubles as a police dog. And she triples as a therapy dog.” 

“Cute,” Yo-Yo said. “ _Aquí, perro_.” The dog looked at Daisy like, _another box?_ but climbed in. 

“You gonna tell May about the therapy dog part? She might be a little touchy on the subject,” Mack said. 

“I’m still figuring that part out,” Daisy admitted, “but I’ve got five days.” 

“Come on, let’s take Max to your room,” Bobbi suggested. 

“And figure out where to buy dog food.” 

**\- - -**

Daisy eventually decided to write a message to May and put it in the box with Mad Max when she delivered her. 

Word got around pretty quickly that there was a dog on base. No one was quite sure what for - some people insisted it was for therapy, and other were sure it was for the secret santa program. Nobody seemed to know that it was for a combination of those reasons, or that Daisy had a hand in it. 

Coulson came by Daisy’s bunk that night. 

“Who dares to disturb my slumber?” Daisy muttered. 

“Your boss,” Coulson replied through the door, obviously amused. Daisy opened the door. “I see you have the dog.” For Max was glaring suspiciously at Coulson. 

“Tomorrow she’ll sleep in Yo-Yo’s room, then Bobbi’s, then Simmons’, then Fitz’s. Or maybe it’s Simmons and then Bobbi. The point is, we’re not supposed to let her get attached to me,” Daisy explained. “Oh, hey, did you know she was alongside the police in New York?” 

“I didn’t know they brought in dogs.” 

“You were dead.” 

“Well, I read about it afterwards. What’s her name?” 

“Max, affectionately nicknamed Mad Max because she’s a badass. Been to Afghanistan twice, Iran and Syria once. She’s about eight,” Daisy informed him. 

“So what about food? Walks? Bathroom breaks?” Coulson inquired. 

“Why?” Daisy asked. 

“Because I’m the director and I need to know if you're going to start climbing out of windows to let Mad Max stretch her legs.” 

“We have _windows_? Besides that one in your office?” 

“Nope.” 

“We’re smuggling her through the vents like an old-fashioned spy movie. While she’s out we lay out food because she’s gonna get attached to whoever she sees pour food so we can’t let her see us. For walks we’ll let her run around the base. Which reminds me, May needs to be in your office at exactly 5:38 to 5:59 am tomorrow. I’ll let you know about the other times.” 

“Right. Anything else?”

”Nope.” 

“Goodnight Daisy.” 

“Night, Coulson.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, still hating myself for the belatedness of this chapter! I promise the other chapters will not be pushed back. Please feel free to hate me as well no shade y’all. 
> 
> Cheers!


	4. How To Hide A Dog From Her Future Owner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reasons why this chapter is late: one essay, two speeches, three unit finals, two study guides, two projects, one detailed diagram, all due this week and a partridge in a pear tree (that last one’s a joke). 
> 
> This is a pretty long chapter, and chapter 5 is too. Not beta'd as my beta's busy right now; all errors are mine!
> 
> I'm so sorry everyone!

**Daisy’s POV**

”Fitz thinks we should send out an email,” Simmons said while she and Daisy were crawling in the vents with Mad Max. 

“What about May?” Daisy asked. 

“She’s just as likely to hear about it from word of mouth. This way, we can stop the rumors,” Simmons pointed out. 

“Good point,” Daisy admitted, “but what would we say?” 

“‘Agents of SHIELD’,” Simmons began. 

“‘We know you’ve heard rumors of an animal being taken into base for a lot of reasons’,” Daisy continued. 

“‘Agent Johnson did bring in an eight-year-old German Shepard named Max. She is currently within her care for the purpose of’...” 

“... ‘a secret Santa gift for Agent May. We’d like to keep this a _secret_ so please keep this quiet’,” Daisy finished. 

“‘Most importantly, please refrain from giving direct and indirect clues to Agent May. Thank you’,” Simmons added. 

They sent out the email two hours later, tweaked to Mack and Simmons standard:

**SHIELD Agents, Staff, and Personnel,**

**We are aware of increasing rumors of a dog taken into base around 4:00pm yesterday, for a variety of reasons, and we know how exciting this must be.**

**Agents Johnson and Morse did, in fact, bring in an eight-year-old german shepard named Max or ‘Mad Max’ with permission from the Director. She is currently within their care, along with help from Agents Mackenzie, Rodriguez, Hunter, and FitzSimmons.**

**Max is here because Agent Johnson bought her as a secret santa gift for Agent May. As this is to be a surprise, we ask you to please refrain from directly or indirectly hinting Agent May about Max’s existence.**

**We will occasionally be walking Max around the base, in which case you are more than welcome to pet her.**

**Sincerely,**

**Agent Johnson, Agent Morse, Agents FitzSimmons, Agent Hunter, Agent Mackenzie, Agent Rodriguez, and Max.**

**\- - -**

**Yo-Yo’s POV**

Yo-Yo got to keep the dog in her room the next day. She placed a small bowl of dry food while Daisy and FitzSimmons were walking Mad Max.

Four days till Christmas, or Navidad. White people thought it was funny to recite a verse of ‘Feliz Navidad’ every time Yo-Yo mentioned either word. It wasn’t. 

“Yo-Yo!” came a knock on the door with a delighted, distinctly British voice. Yo-Yo ran to the door and opened it, then snapped back to her place in the chair. She thought this would have freaked out Max, but the dog looked at her calmly and walked over to eat some food. 

“Watch her, okay?” Daisy asked anxiously. “I mean, I know you’ve got to work but...” 

“Relax,” Yo-Yo assured her. 

“We’d better get to the briefing,” Fitz said. He and Simmons (those two were obviously in love, Yo-Yo thought, but for some reason that no one would tell her, they wouldn’t act upon it) and Daisy waited for Yo-Yo t lay out a few chew toys before walking with her to the briefing room. 

Yo-Yo wasn’t sure how they could keep Mad Max from May for four days, because at this rate, Daisy would die from anticipation and one of the other agents would slip up. 

“Agents Caselli, Bendis, Noto, Piper, and Stohl are taking out a Quinjet with Davis piloting,” Coulson continued as Daisy and Yo-Yo walked in. “Anything else?” An agent raised a hand in the back. 

“Sir, how are we supposed to give our secret Santa gifts?” 

“Daisy?” Coulson asked. All eyes turned to her. Yo-Yo prodded her forward. 

“You can give myself, Yo-Yo, or FitzSimmons your gift, unwrapped or wrapped. You can choose to reveal your identity. On Christmas Day we’ll pass out all the gifts,” Daisy answered. 

“Thank you. Anything else?” Coulson asked. 

“Sir, we need more brown sugar cinnamon Pop-Tarts!” declared a voice from the back. This was met with a roar of approval. 

“Add it to the SHIELD grocery list on the fridge,” Coulson ordered, “and we’ll get it on Saturday.” 

“But sir, Saturday’s in TWO WHOLE DAYS!” 

“Dismissed,” Coulson sighed. He turned to them. “Pop-Tarts? Really?” 

“I ate the last one,” Daisy whispered conspirationally. Fitz looked at her like she had announced that she was HYDRA. 

“How’s everyone’s secret santa going?” Simmons asked. 

“I can’t figure out who got me,” Daisy said. 

“Me either, love,” Hunter agreed sympathetically, “though I’m easy to shop for. I just want beer.” 

“You drink too much,” Bobbi chastised. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Hunter retorted. 

“Four days till Christmas!” Simmons squealed. “Oh, Mum and Dad are going to be so disappointed I won’t be there for the holidays.” Fitz patted her sympathetically. 

“My mum’ll be calling, I suppose,” Hunter said. “What about you, Bob?” 

“Debatable,” Bobbi shrugged. 

“I’ll call my brother, and I know you’ll call your family,” Mack said. Yo-Yo smiled. She would. They wouldn’t be happy she was missing the family reunion. 

“May?” Daisy asked. 

May sighed. “My mother doesn’t celebrate Christmas and my father only does to annoy her.”

”Your mother hates me,” Coulson added. May scowled.

“She hates everyone. Don’t take it personally.”

“Except you! Especially when you were little. She has pictures of ten-year-old you all over her house,” Coulson protested.

“Twelve,” May corrected automatically. “What does this have to do with SHIELD?” 

“THAT’S IT!” Daisy yelled suddenly. Everyone turned to her. “Coulson, don’t we get an automatic day off on Christmas?” 

“Every year, a few agents volunteer to stay on-duty and make sure the world doesn’t explode, but yeah, we get a day off. Why?” Coulson asked. 

“So command center isn’t in use?” Daisy replied. Yo-Yo still didn’t see where this was going. 

“No, they’re usually here in the briefing room or in my office,” Coulson said. “Why?” Daisy grinned. 

“So we could have a small reception for people to receive gifts in command center?” 

“Absolutely not,” May argued. 

“We could guarantee the punch wouldn’t be spiked,” Yo-Yo offered. Mack raised a doubtful eyebrow. 

“Where would the money come from?” Coulson asked carefully. May glared ferociously at him. Hunter winced.

“SHIELD won’t be running,” Fitz said.

“So?” Mack asked.

“So no one gets paid, no Quinjets jets need fuel, and both of those leave more than enough money for a party,” Fitz reasoned. Daisy cheered. They turned to Coulson. 

"You can have your party," He agreed. 

"No mistletoe!" May commanded as Daisy and Yo-Yo ran off to prepare party preparations. 

**\- - -**

**Coulson's POV**

As Mad Max had gotten her walk earlier that morning, Phil knew that May wouldn't see her in the halls, so he shouldn't be so worried she would. But he was. He was expecting May to come in here any minute now to kick his ass for agreeing to Daisy's party - but Daisy has made some good points, and besides, she had found solutions to all of his reasons for saying no. 

May stormed into his office. "What the _hell_ \- " She started. 

"Oh, come on, they're just kids," Phil interrupted. "They just want to have some fun. It's Christmas. Were you going to be doing anything?"  
  
  


"Volunteer," May said through gritted teeth. Phil frowned, confused. 

"Why? You used to love Christmas!" 

"I used to tolerate Christmas because it upset my mother," May corrected, "and you used to make me watch all those movies - _A Christmas Story, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation_." 

"The classics," Phil agreed wistfully. That had been fun. 

"You don't understand the effect it had on people when you died," May said. "I had just divorced Andrew and I couldn't bring myself to get back in the field even though that desk job was _awful._ And Christmas. Without _A Christmas Story_ and National _Lampoon's Christmas Vacation_. Phil, you don't remember dying - just the months afterwards. Which do you think I remember more - holiday movies or Maria explaining to me that you died 'an honorable death'?" 

"I'm sorry, May," Phil said softly. May shook her head and walked away. 

For once, Phil couldn't bring himself to speak. 

**\- - -**

**Jemma's POV**

Only three days till Christmas! How exhilarating, Jemma thought, and she got to have Maz in her room tonight. From 7:22 to 8pm, Yo-Yo and Mack would take Max on a walk, but until then, the dog was Jemma's. 

6:23am," She explained the Max as soon as she got ready for the day. "We've got about seven minutes before I have to leave. Do you want a checkup?" Max looked at her like, _no way in bloody hell._ Jemma crossed her arms stubbornly. "Oh, don't be like that! I should make sure you're healthy before Daisy gives you to May."

If Max could talk, she most likely would have said, _those who cared for me before you made sure I was in prime health before my departure_. 

Jemma sighed. "I suppose you're right." It would have been fun to be a veterinarian. 

"Simmons?" Fitz asked, knocking on her door. "Can I come in?" Jemma smiled. 

"Of course," She called. Fitz walked in and noticed Max. He reached down to pet her. 

"Cute," He noted. Max snarled. "And quite May-like. You've got her for today, then?" 

"And I'm going to make every bit of it count! Shame we can't bring her to the lab," Jemma pouted. "Would you mind taking her to the restroom while I get her breakfast ready, and then we can go?" 

"Sure. C'mon, you," Fitz said to May, and together they walked out to wherever the vent was (Jemma had taken Max out for a walk with Fitz once, but quickly forgotten the experience in the maze that was the ventilation system). She poured a bowl of food and placed it next to Max's bed, along with some good chew toys. By the time Fitz and Max returned, she was ready to go. 

"Off we go, then. I'll be back in an hour," Jemma promised Max. 

Jemma and Fitz went the briefing room for an early briefing, and after a review on ongoing missions, an update on suspects they were currently tracking, and a great deal of complaining about the lack of Pop-Tarts (apparently they were out of strawberry Pop-Tarts now, too). Jemma managed to have enough time to set her things down in the lab and prepare for the day before she went back to check on Max. 

"Hello there," Jemma greeted her. Max was chewing ferociously on a chew toy. An utterly demolished one lay in the corner. Jemma switched out the water and placed the destroyed toy in the trash. "I'll come check on you again in another hour." 

This was the rest of her day, sneaking off every hour to check on Max until she retired for the evening quite early at 7pm. Yo-Yo and Mack came for Max approximately twenty minutes later. 

"You want some exercise, _perro_?" Yo-Yo asked. 

"Have fun!" Jemma called.

**\- - -**

**Mack's POV  
**

"So this is the infamous Mad Max," Piper said, leaning down to pet her. Davis laughed when Max snapped at her. 

"She's May in dog form," He remarked. Mack nodded. 

  
"Definitely not cuddly," He agreed. 

"Yeah, but if May's cuddly, then Hunter doesn't drink," Bobbi said. 

"I don't drink _that_ much, love," Hunter replied. Bobbi gave him a look and Mack chuckled. Max gave him a doubtful look. Mack didn't know it was possible for dogs to give doubtful looks, but apparently it was. 

"I don't think she likes being cooped up, poor thing," Bobbi said sympathetically as they walked in a loop around the gym. Max snorted. 

"Or pitied," Hunter noticed. 

"Only two more days, plus a few hours for the rest of today," Yo-Yo acknowledged, "and then she goes to May." Mack smiled. He wondered what May's reaction would be. He hoped, for Daisy's sake, that she would love the dog as much as the rest of them had grown to. 

**\- - -**

**Bobbi's POV**

"Is there any other announcements?" Coulson asked at the briefing. Bobbi raised her hand. 

"It's Hunter's turn to go grocery shopping this week, so everyone should stock up on Pop-Tarts before he fills the list up with beer," She declared. He scowled. 

"Bloody hilarious, that," Hunter replied. Everyone laughed. Bobbi saw Daisy run up to Coulson and whisper something in his ear - probably the times for when they would be walking Max.   
  
  


Who was in Bobbi's room right now as a matter of fact. 

"Anything else?" Coulson called, and there were no more demands for Pop-Tarts or reminders for supposedly secret ops so Bobbi assumed the briefing was over. "Okay. Dismissed." Daisy ran over to Bobbi. 

"Someone'll pick her up at 1:30 and bring her back at 1:45," She whispered. Then she turned to Coulson and asked quietly, "Hey Coulson, how do you make sure May stays in your office?" Coulson smiled. 

"Wouldn't you like to know," He said, and walked to his office and closed the door. Daisy stared openmouthed at the door. Bobbi, who knew that Daisy was a complete fan of the Coulson-May ship, laughed as she said,

"Did he just deflect my question?" 

"He did," Hunter agreed. 

"Why're Tremors and Hunter staring at Coulson's office?" Mack asked. 

"Coulson wouldn't tell Daisy how he makes sure May stays in his office during Max's walks," Bobbi explained. 

"That'd do it," Mack agreed. 

"Bobbi," Piper said, "could you come here for a second?" Bobbi nodded and walked over to where Piper was fidgeting in the corner. 

"What's up?" She asked. 

"Davis is going home for Christmas Day, and he'll be back at the party... is there a rule against me going home with him? His wife is totally fine with it," Piper added hurriedly. 

"Piper, do you have family to go home to?" Bobbi asked. Piper shook her head. "So just Davis, then. You should talk to Coulson about it. He's probably really understanding."  
  
  


"You think I could?" Piper asked nervously. 

"You're easily Davis' best friend, even if you two argue all the time," Bobbi said. 

"Thanks, Bobbi," Piper replied, looking happy and grateful at the same time as she walked off to Coulson's office. It struck Bobbi then, how Piper and Davis argued all the time over idiotic things but agreed on everything truly important. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this chapter! 
> 
> Aaaand now I’m going to go do my homework.


	5. In Which Daisy Dies From Anticipation (not really)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. 
> 
> I really overestimated how much time I would have, and I’m really sorry for doing so! Side note, I ended up combining chapter 5 and 6 because it made more sense to do so. 
> 
> All errors are regrettably mine.

**Coulson’s POV**

”Christmas Eve!” Daisy said to Phil. He smiled at her enthusiasm.

“When does May need to be in my office tonight?” He asked. 

“10:17 to 10:31 am,” Daisy replied promptly. “And it’s 10:15. So go get May.” 

“Have fun,” Phil called as Daisy ran off to Fitz’s room. Phil walked to the training room, where he knew May would be. She was finishing up ‘teaching’ (beating up) recruits, all of whom were absolutely awed and terrified by her. He heard them training before he saw them; they were apparently focusing on one-on-one combat today. 

May must’ve been going easy on this recruit, because she lasted for a full five seconds. 

“Mistake?” May asked when the recruit was helped off the floor. 

“She forgot to sidestep,” answered the boy who helped her. May nodded. Excited whispers arose when Phil leaned against the doorway and May noticed them. 

“Dismissed,” She called, and most of the recruits managed to limp out. Phil motioned for May to walk with him. 

“You might be going a little too hard on them,” He remarked. 

“They won’t learn if I let them win,” May replied. 

“They won’t learn if you break them,” Phil retorted. 

“They’ll learn not to face me one-on-one,” May said, eyebrows raised. 

“Fair. Your training worked with Daisy,” Phil admitted. 

“She can still only beat me one time out of twenty, three if she uses her powers,” May responded. 

“But she can kick ass alongside you.” 

“I see your point.”

“Excited for tomorrow?” Phil asked. 

“More excited for it to be over,” May muttered. Phil opened the door to his office and she walked in. He followed. 

“Piper’s leaving tomorrow morning. She’s spending Christmas with Davis and his family, apparently,” Phil said, deliberately changing the subject. “They’ll be back for Daisy’s party.”

”Which I’m not going to,” May insisted. Phil sighed.

“Not even for Daisy? She’s put a lot into this. Besides, don’t you want to see what you got from your secret santa?” Phil asked. May whirled around, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“Whoever picked me came to you to ask what to get me.” It wasn’t a question. 

“It’s good - wasn’t even my idea, they came up with it all on their own,” Phil said smugly. 

“I hate Christmas.” 

“Your mother hates Christmas,” Phil corrected. “Come on, please?” May considered for a moment. 

“I’m not wearing a dress.” 

“Dress, but no heels.” 

“Deal,” May agreed. Phil glanced at the clock - 10:30. May turned around to leave. 

“Hey, May?” He asked. May turned back at him. “Do you wanna watch _National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation_ with me?” 

**\- - -**

**Fitz’s POV**

Fitz had gotten Jemma for his secret santa, which was the easiest gift ever. He had made a scrapbook - cliché, yes, but it was too shallow to give her a new piece of equipment or something, and besides, they had everything they needed in the lab. 

“Hey, Turbo,” Mack greeted him. 

“Hey, Mack,” Fitz replied. “D’you know where Simmons is? I promised I’d meet her at noon because she’s supposed to be done with an eye surgery, and, uh...” 

“Tremors told me all about the creepy eye cameras,” Mack shuddered. “No, but Yo-Yo mentioned something about Coulson’s office earlier.” Fitz nodded and walked towards the Director’s office. As he turned the corner, he bumped into Jemma. 

“Oh, Fitz! I’m terribly sorry I’m late!” She cried as he helped her up. “I was just asking Coulson if we have enough volunteers to keep SHIELD running tomorrow.” 

“Do we?” Fitz asked. 

“Surprisingly enough,” Jemma said. “Oh, and we need to help him with his secret santa gift tomorrow. He enlisted Piper, too.” 

“Who’d he get?” Fitz asked. 

“Daisy,” Jemma whispered. She glanced around to make no one was listening, then told Fitz exactly what Coulson wanted them to do. Fitz frowned thoughtfully. 

“But why would he want us to -“ He began to ask, then Jemma’s eyes widened. 

“Fitz!” She said, and suddenly, Fitz understood exactly why. 

“Oh,” He said, “well, I suppose it’ll make Daisy happy. 

“Quite,” Jemma agreed. “Come on, let’s go get lunch.” 

**\- - -**

**May’s POV**

May noticed the looks that FitzSimmons gave her throughout the rest of the day, and it made her oddly anxious - what on Earth were they planning? 

“Are you going to the party?” Bobbi inquired. May sighed. 

“Against my will,” She muttered. 

“I highly doubt that,” Hunter said, but at her menacing gaze, he quickly added, “but anything’s possible, and Coulson and Daisy would want you to come, and...” He continued talking as Bobbi laughed and pulled him away. 

“Why are FitzSimmons looking at you like that?” Daisy asked. May thought she heard a note of nervousness in Daisy’s tone. May shrugged. “You’re going to the party, right?” 

“I was assured I could wear flats, so yes,” May replied. Daisy looked horrified. 

“Just - Let me pick out the rest of your outfit, okay?” She said. May sighed and hid a smile as Daisy ran off to annoy someone else. 

“She’s excited for tomorrow, you know,” Phil said behind May. She smiled. 

“I know.” 

**\- - -**

**Yo-Yo’s POV**

Yo-Yo woke up to a loud _CRASH_ and an even louder voice. 

“ _DAISY WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?!_ ”

Mack stirred beside Yo-Yo and sat up. 

“What’s going on?” He asked, half-asleep. 

“ _Escuchar,_ ” Yo-Yo replied. 

“ _INSTINCT IS ME ALMOST KILLING YOU! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!_ ” 

“IT’S CHRISTMAS DAY!” Daisy shouted. Mack put his head in his hands. Elena sighed. 

“So Daisy broke into May’s room? What is she, six years old?” Yo-Yo asked incredulously. Mack laughed. They both jumped at the knock on their door. 

“You guys decent?” asked Piper through the door, currently unlocked. Yo-Yo glanced down at her T-shirt and shorts and Mack’s T-shirt and sweatpants. 

“Yeah,” Mack answered, and Piper opened the door. 

“I’m heading out, but tell me how that -“ she gestured to May’s room -“ plays out.” 

“Will do. Tell Davis’ wife we say hi,” Mack replied. Piper saluted and closed to door. 

“ _WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN YOU WANTED TO SURPRISE ME!_ ” May shouted next door. Yo-Yo rolled out of bed and put on a SHIELD sweatshirt (from the gift shop). 

“I’m going to go make sure May hasn’t killed Daisy,” Yo-Yo told Mack. He nodded. 

“ _CHRISTMAS WON’T MEAN VERY MUCH IF YOU’RE DEAD!_ ” 

Yo-Yo saw a gathering of agents around May’s door, most looking sleep-deprived but extremely amused. 

“All right, clear out,” she ordered. Yo-Yo walked in. Daisy was on the floor, attempting to look guilty. She had an ugly sweater depicting several dogs and an array of pom-poms. May was rubbing her forehead, and he had clearly just woken up. Daisy had a bruise on her cheek. 

“Merry Christmas, Yo-Yo,” Daisy muttered. 

“You two are waking everyone up,” Yo-Yo said. May’s expression softened. 

“Sorry about your face,” She told Daisy, then walked out. Yo-Yo offered Daisy a hand, and pulled her off the floor. 

“Did you come in here and jump on the bed or something?” Yo-Yo asked. 

“I started jumping on the bed and yelling ‘Merry Christmas,’ actually,” Daisy replied. “Hey, wait, while I’m here...” 

**\- - -**

**Daisy’s POV**

Word had apparently gotten around, because when Daisy sat down to eat breakfast (chocolate chip pancakes, made by some kind soul who had not gotten recognition but would remain Daisy’s favorite human being for the next thirty seconds) she was swarmed by agents wanting to know exactly what happened in utmost detail. 

“That’s enough,” Coulson chided, shooing them away. Daisy beamed at him gratefully while drowning her pancakes in syrup. “You know, May yelled because she was afraid of hurting you. She loves you.” 

“I’m sorry?” Daisy asked, choking on pancake. 

“When I was a kid, I climbed up too high in a tree. I fell down and broke my arm, and my mom was livid. May was worried she hurt you - well, worse then she actually did, but you can’t blame her for that,” Coulson explained, gesturing to her face. Daisy loooked at him in awe. 

“You got that from her lecture?” She asked. Coulson smiled and helped himself to a pancake. 

“Your dog is going to be great for her, Daisy,” He said. 

**\- - -**

**Jemma’s POV**

Max was in Fitz’s room, which worried both Fitz and Jemma. Jemma was more worried for Fitz, as he was downright terrified for the dog, than for Max, who seemed to enjoy watching Fitz glance anxiously at his watch every fourteen and a half seconds. 

“Yo-Yo’s coming with the gift box, Fitz,” Jemma assured him. 

“Not fast enough,” Fitz muttered, and proceeded to check in watch again. Two minutes later, Yo-Yo barreled into the room with Daisy an a massive box with a removable lid, wrapped in blue wrapping paper with white and silver snowflakes, complete with a golden ribbon. Daisy took off the lid, and inside was a dog bed, food, water, and toys. Jemma was amazed at how cozy it looked. 

“When does this party start?” Fitz asked. 

“I just finished decorating, but I still have to make an announcement and get dressed, so around 8,” Daisy replied, pulling a piece of mistletoe from her hair. “We’ll open gifts at 8:30.” 

“So I just, um, leave her here?” Fitz asked. 

“Yep!” Daisy confirmed. She turned to Max. “Are you excited to meet May, huh? She’s gonna love you, I just know it!” Max wagged her tail enthusiastically. 

“Why don’t you go make the announcement?” Jemma suggested. Daisy ran off. 

“I’m going to go get dressed, in, um, my room,” Fitz said hurriedly, and he followed Daisy out. 

“This is his room,” Yo-Yo observed. Jemma nodded fondly. 

“It is,” She agreed, and Max yipped happily. 

**\- - -**

**May’s POV**

May was walking back to her room when Daisy’s voice crackled over the ancient PA system. 

“Wow, I didn’t even know this PA system existed! The party - sorry, reception - begins at 8 pm, and we’ll pass out gifts at 8:30. Please, please, please don’t spike the punch or bring alcoholic drinks, because then we don’t get to have a party - reception - EVER AGAIN. I will ensure anyone who does bring alcohol to the reception is punished by me and possibly Agent May,” Daisy declared. The agents in the hall, included three that were obviously concealing bottles, glanced nervously at May. She sighed and walked to her room. 

May was surprised to see one of her black dresses and black flats laid out neatly on her bed, with a small notecard next to it reading LOVE, DAISY. She smiled to herself and glanced at the clock, reading 7:45. She had to shower and finish gift-wrapping her gift. She’d be late.

Fashionably late, thanks to Daisy.

**\- - -**

**Hunter’s POV**

Hunter managed to make it to Daisy’s party on ten minutes late, which was a bloody miracle, but Daisy was very thorough in her quest to prevent alcohol from entering the party. It had only been a couple of beers, but Hunter had to be rescued by Bobbi before Daisy went ballistic.

“You’re an idiot,” Bobbi muttered as they walked through the crowd in no particular direction. The room was covered in Christmas lights and massive Christmas tree, plus enough mistletoe in one corner that Hunter would probably have to make out for hours if he ever got stuck there - not that he minded.

And Bobbi didn’t look half-bad, either. She was wearing a nice red dress that went down to her knees, plus heels, which made her even taller. Hunter, in his rather informal suit, would be looking up all evening.

“Did you hear what I said?” Bobbi asked. Hunter sighed.

“It was just a beer, love,” He replied. 

“Daisy wants everything to be perfect for her party, and you almost screwed it up,” Bobbi lectured. 

“Hello, Bobbi! Hello, Hunter!” Simmons interrupted. Hunter had never been so happy to see FitzSimmons. 

“Hey. You two look adorable!” Bobbi said. Fitz smiled. 

“Thanks,” He responded. He had a black and white suit with a dark green tie that matched the color of Simmon’s dress. 

“We’d better go help Daisy pass out gifts- oh look, there’s May’s!” Simmons squealed. 

“Where is May?” Bobbi wondered. 

“Over by the stairs,” Mack cut in. He had a navy blue suit and Yo-Yo had a gold off-the-shoulder dress. 

“Bet she’s trying to avoid Daisy’s mistletoe,” Bobbi said. 

“By glaring at everyone?” Hunter asked. 

“Well, it’s working so far,” Yo-Yo pointed out. They watched Coulson walk over to May. The group walked over to them. Hunter groaned and followed. 

**\- - -**

**Daisy’s POV**

Daisy was so excited she could hardly contain herself. She had been asked all night when she would give May her dog, and twice she had snuck over to the tree to check on Max, who was happily gnawing on a chew toy. 

“Hey, Tremors,” said Mack. Daisy turned around. 

“Hi, Mack,” She replies. 

“Yo-Yo sent me over to tell you that it’s 8:30 and everyone has put their present under the tree,” Mack reported. Daisy nodded and jumped on top of a table. 

“FitzSimmons, Yo-Yo, and I are going to start handing out presents, so if you would just raise your hand when I call your name,” She announced. 

Yo-Yo handed her a box. 

“Agent Davis!” Daisy called, and Fitz ran over to get the box to him. Simmons handed her another gift. “Agent Piper!” 

And so it went, FitzSimmons or Yo-Yo handing her a gift and Daisy, still on the table, yelling the name of the agent who received the gift. FitzSimmons and Yo-Yo saved the giant box for May last. 

“There’s one more left,” Daisy declared, and everyone immediately looked at May. She raised an eyebrow. 

“You’re all in on something, aren’t you?” She deadpanned. Servers agents laughed. Daisy beamed and hopped off the table. She read the name of the tag. 

“Agent May.” With Mack’s help, she pushed the box through the parting crowd to May. 

May smiled (many started whispering in shock at this) and opened the card. Daisy saw Coulson reading it over her shoulder. After a few seconds, May carefully lifted the top off the box. 

Mad Max leaped our tackled her and May laughed. 

She _laughed._ A loud collective gasp arose. 

“Max, meet May. May, this your dog, Max,” Daisy introduced them. 

“Thank you, Daisy,” May said, petting Max. 

“Cheers!” Hunter shouted, and Daisy turned a May-worthy glare on him and he added, “with non-alcoholic drinks, of course.” Daisy grinned and handed him a glass. 

“We should take a picture!” Simmons suggested, and she was met with roars of approval. For some reason, Daisy couldn’t find Fitz. Piper grabbed a camera and jumped on top of a table. 

“Okay, on three, say SHIELD!” She called. “One, two, three!” 

“SHIELD!” 

**\- - -**

**Phil’s POV**

Phil took the camera from Piper and looked at the pictures. He quickly found FitzSimmons and Mack, then Davis and Yo-Yo, and then Bobbi, Daisy, and Hunter. Finally, May, himself, and Max. 

“Ooh, I wanna see!” Daisy cried and Phil handed her the camera. May attempted to hide her smile, and her eyes were glittering. “Hey, wait... you two are... hold up, are you guys _making out_?” Phil laughed. 

“Merry Christmas, Daisy.” 

“THERE’S MISTLETOE RIGHT THERE!” Daisy shouted. Fitz raised his hand to take credit and gestured to her mistletoe corner. 

“Coulson asked us to that,” Simmons explained. 

“Are you guys a thing now? Can I give you a ship name? _Am I the only one who’s surprised by this_?” Daisy demanded. 

“Phil though nothing would make you happier,” May replied. 

“And he was _damn right!_ ” Daisy yelled. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading and Happy Holidays! Please leave comments - I love to know what you think! Chapters are posted every five days, with the final chapter being posted Christmas Day. 
> 
> Cheers!


End file.
